Eco-friendly Goes Vintage-Luxe with Dirty Librarian Chains

With a naughty-yet-nice moniker and a tough girl-chic design aesthetic, on first glance you'd never assume that Susan Domelsmith's accessory line Dirty Librarian Chains is eco-friendly. A longtime lover of all-things vintage, this Brooklynite by way of Austin, Texas, incorporates her distinct design point of view and her green-consciousness to create chain-laden statement necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, without additional waste. "Working with only vintage material is definitely more limiting and time consuming," Domelsmith told ELLE.com. "It's a fun challenge that has led me to come up with very creative solutions and designs."

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This season, she released her most popular classic styles in limited quantities as well as one-of-a-kind baubles to refresh the the indie brand. Here, we've curated our four favorite ELLE.com-approved pieces from the Dirty Librarian Chains classic line. Domelsmith has also weighed in on the vintage materials she used and what inspired each handcrafted piece.

Dirty Librarian Chains

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Photo: Dirty Librarian Chains

Crystalline necklace, $225: "I used mod acrylic pendants, vintage tube beads, and heavy gold drop charms. I find the mix of gold, silver, and brushed white to be particularly pleasing. I watched the [Stanley] Kubrick film A Space Odyssey before designing this collection, so that vintage take on what the future would look like was also on the forefront of my mind."

Dirty Librarian Chains

Photo: Dirty Librarian Chains

Media bracelet, $100: "The media bracelet was one of the first bracelets that I ever made for my collection, and it has been a top-seller for years. The woven chains are vintage and, as a result, they vary slightly from piece to piece, making each one unique. Sometimes, I throw a super special rare chain in the mix for my lucky customers!"

Dirty Librarian Chains

Photo: Dirty Librarian Chains

Rhythm bracelet, $59: "For my AW10 collection, I almost exclusively used draped and knotted ball chains. I really love the texture that they create, and I have quite a stockpile from years of vintage chain collecting. After giving it a rest for a few seasons, I decided to bring them back because I love the way they catch the light."

Dirty Librarian Chains

Photo: Dirty Librarian Chains

Mica ring, $40: "This is one of my favorite simple rings from all of my DLC collections. I found some really unique gold chains but I didn't love the way they looked, so I disassembled each chain and incorporated the parts into a ring. The textured details of the gold pieces are featured now, and it makes the whole more elegant."